Arizona is one of the fastest growing states and is considered a pioneer in renewable energy. As a result, the number of HVAC technician jobs could increase significantly over the next decade.
Healthy Job Climate for HVAC Technician Jobs in Arizona
by Jessica Santina
Believe it or not, one of the country's most energy efficient cooling systems can be found in the Arizona desert. It's part of why Arizona is a veritable hotbed for HVAC technician jobs.
The U.S. Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center in Maricopa, Arizona is comprised of 98,000 square feet of greenhouses, laboratories, and office space that employ some of the world's most innovative energy efficiency measures. Researchers at the $28 million center probe into new ways to improve cotton production and conserve water in the arid desert.
Among its many revolutionary energy-saving features (like daylighting and water-efficient plumbing) is an efficient heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system that includes direct digital controllers, variable frequency drives, and energy recovery devices. Measures like these helped the center to win the 2003 Federal Energy Saver Showcase award--one of only 20 awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
By no means is this the only project of its kind in a state that has named solar power as an "economy-defining industry opportunity" for the next decade. In fact, Cochise College in Douglas, Arizona recently invited the public to tour its new solar trough-based HVAC system--the first in the state.
The Arizona Department of Commerce projects that in the coming years, Arizona could become a world leader in solar energy. Clearly, now is the time to begin an HVAC technician training program at one of Arizona's vocational schools.
What's So Cool About HVAC Technician Jobs?
HVAC technician jobs involve installing, maintaining, and repairing essential systems that affect our level of comfort and indoor air quality. Many HVAC technicians specialize in certain types of equipment, such as hydronics (water-based heating systems) or solar panels.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that HVAC technician jobs will increase faster than average through 2014 due to increasingly sophisticated technology, an increase in new building construction (especially in Arizona, one of the fastest-growing states in the nation), and the development of new energy-saving HVAC systems, all creating demand for technicians who have completed a vocational school HVAC technician training program. HVAC technician jobs saw median hourly earnings of $17.43 in 2004.
The HVAC technician programs you'll find at Arizona's vocational schools provide hands-on training in refrigeration and air-conditioning technology; heating systems; automatic, electronic, and programmable controls; domestic appliances; and system evacuation and charging. Upon completion of your vocational school program, you might even be ready to own your own shop in Arizona, where the HVAC business keeps getting hotter.
Sources
APS - Arizona Electricity, Power, Energy Services
Arizona Department of Commerce
Buildings.com HVAC Case Study: "McQuay HVAC Equipment Handles the Arizona Heat at New Research Facility"
Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers"
About the Author
Jessica Santina is a freelance writer with a background in media and marketing. She also teaches first-year college writing.